Foot contour template



Sept. 28, 1943. v H. R. S-TEWART 2,330,317, 7

FOOT CONTOUR TEMPLATE Filed se tyzl, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ilowua KJWMA' INVENTOR BY '7' 'C ZL ATTORNEY v Sept. 23; 1943. H. R. STEWART 2,330,317 I FOOT CONTOUR TEMPLATE Filed Sept. 21, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g{oM/mb jf llNVENToli ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT O1'FFICEJffi Application September 21, 1942, Serial No. 459,216

2 Claims. (Cl. 333) My invention relates to that classof apparatus which is used to obtain or measure the contours of irregularly shaped; bodies. This device can be used to obtain contours from a great many different articles and for many different purposes. In the present instance this device is particularly intended to be used to obtain the contour ofthe under side of a human foot, both transversely and longitudinally. Reference is made to my'Patent No. 2,290,390, of July 21, 1942, which illustrates a jointed shoe preferably made of woo-d or plastic material. It is my purpose'to use the mechanism illustrated and described in this application in cooperation with a profiling machine such as is commonly used in the manufacture of irregular shapes such as axe handles and the like. Profiling machines have a finger or tracer, adapted to be moved over the surface of a stationary pattern, and a milling cutter designed to be moved over the block to be cut, such movement'being exactly the same as the movement of the'tracer, both horizontally and vertically. As the operator guides the tracer over the pattern, the milling cutter carves the block, thus producing in wood, plastic or other suitable material, a shape'exactly.

the same as that of the pattern. The profiling machine as above described is not illustrated in the drawings accompanying this specification, as it is an article of common and well known application. By the use of my deviceas a pattern a block shoe is produced that is fitted directly to the foot of the individual.

longitudinal bars, the halves of each pair [being designatedas l and I6. These bars are curved in longitudinal section approximately as shown in Figure 2. The'upper side of thes'e'bars is provided with receptacles 11,1 referably of a rec:

tangular shape. A further cylindrical receptacle lBisbored from the bottom of the r'ecept'aclell,

I illustrate my inventionby means of the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals refer to similar elements in the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my device with the dotted outline of a human foot superimposed thereon. Figure 2 is a vertical central section with dotted lines showing a human foot in position ready to press downwardly on the stops. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a partial section showing the receptacle for the springs and also showing the separation which enables the longitudinal side bars to be clamped onto the plungers when the impression of the foot is taken.

Figure 5 is a detail view in elevation of one of the stops with its plunger, but with the spring removed. Figure 6 is a similar detail view of one of the stops with the plunger and spring in place. Figure 7 is a detail side elevation of a heel lift. a

The construction of my device is as follows:

My device consists of a plurality of pairs of extending partly through the bar and having cen- 'trally located in the receptacle I8, a hole l9.

After these bars have been assembled adjacent to each other, they are held in place by the plates 29, together with the bolts 2| which extend through these plates and the bars l5and I6. Each of the bolts 2! has a nut 25 by which the entire assembly of plates and bars may be loosened or tightened. Arranged so as to slide in the receptacles I! are stops 22 havingplungers 23 secured to the under side of each one. At the lower end of each of the plungers 23 is a flange 24 which limits the upward movement ,of the stops 22 and the plungers 23. The upward movement of the stops may be, manual, asshown in Figure 5, or they may be normally held in their upward pos tion by the springs 30 as shown in Figure 6. The thickness of the bars [5 and I 6 is reduced on their adjacent faces so that when the said bars are in contact with the plungers-23, there is a definite clearance between the faces of the said bars so that they can be clamped upon the plungers 23 by. the tightening of the bolts 2|. The heel lift 25 is detachably mounted on the side plates 20, and is held in position bysliding in a transverse channel. These lifts are preferably made in a variety of heights to provide for different styles and types of shoes. 3! is a counter or heel-stop which located the position of the heel and of the foot while the contour is being taken. The side plate 2! is provided with numerals 32, for indicating the relative size of the foot and its shoe.- These numerals may or may not coincide with the commercial size numerals as may be preferred. These numerals also indicate approximately the size of the block which is to be carved.

The operation of my device is as follows: The various parts having been assembled as shown, a heel lift 25 is selected as best conforming to the size and type of heel desired. The numerals 32 are intended to facilitate the choice of springs 30. The stops 22 all being in the upper position, the bolts are slightly tightened in order to cause the stops to offer a small amount of frictional resistance between the bars I5 and I6 and the plungers 23. The foot is now placed on the template with the heel against the counter 3| and with the bottom of the foot resting on the tops of the stops 22. Pressure by the weight of the body is then applied. The result is that some of the stops are fully depressed and some are slightly depressed, and some may not be depressed at all. The bolts 2 l are now ti ghtened by the nuts 26 causing the bars to lock the plungers in Whfi-tr. ever position they have assumed according to the actual contour of the bottom of the foot. The foot is now removed from the template and the template itself secured to the profiling machine. A suitable block is also secured to the profiling machine. The operator then uses the finger or tracer of the machine, bringing it down on the top of each of the stops. Each time this is done the milling cutter carves the block in the corresponding location and to the corresponding depth. What I claim as my invention .and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

L In a foot contour template the combination of a: of side frame bars; a pluralit of pairs of bars assembled between said side bars; 2. p111 rality of rectangular receptacles, each one located partly in each of any two adjacent bars; a plurality of stops located in said receptacles and vertically adjustable in same; plungers secured to the underside of said stops; springs in said receptacle and under said stops; flanges for limiting the upward movement of said stops and plungers, and means for locking and unlocking said bars; plungers and stops in the contour position, said means including bolts extending therethrough all of said bars and nuts for tightening same.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of side frame locking bars having assembled between them a plurality of pairs of vise-like gripping bars; a plurality of rectangular receptacles, each one located partly in each of any two adjacent bars; a plurality of stop located in said receptacle and vertically adjustable therein; plungers secured to the underside of said stops; springs in said receptacles and under said stops; flanges for limiting the upward movement of said stops and plungers; means for locking and unlocking said frame locking bars, said gripping bars, plungers and stops, said means consisting of bolts extending through all of said bars together ith tightening nuts.

HOWARD R. STEWART. 

